Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Burning Man 8
The stars began to flicker overhead as I pedaled. I knew it was getting close to my shift at the Fishbug. Equipped with a heavy sweatshirt, my water bottle and headlamp, I began to make my way down Chaos Street.
The road was lit up like a Christmas tree.Glowing lights were strung around every person and vehicle.I took a left down 5:00 and the traffic grew.People covered in costume flowed steadily toward the Esplanade for the nightly festivities.I could see huge balls of fire shooting off in random parts of the playa in the distance.
In the corner of my eye along 5:00, I saw a couple of girls bouncing 10 ft or so into the air behind a shade structure.I rode up and saw the fabric of a trampoline stretched and then springing back launching the two in the air.
"Hey, do you want to jump too?" one of the girls asked me as I leaned both of my arms on the edge of the trampoline.
"I think there are enough people on it right now." I answered."Maybe in a bit."
They kept jumping as I flashed back to my days in middle school. My best friend had a trampoline behind his house, where we learned to light joints.
"You sure you don't want to come for a bounce?" the girl asked again watching me space out on the trampoline sidelines.
"Why not." I said, finally giving in to peer pressure.I wished I had a joint on me though.
I emptied my pockets of keys, my wallet, and my headlamp. I then slipped off my shoes and I climbed up.
The two girls on the trampoline jumped and giggled. I jumped in close proximity to the pink glow stick girl and sent her flying about six feet above me.She shrieked as she came down.
I started laughing with them.
I was never able to fully land a back flip in middle school.(I did try when I wasn't stoned for the record) It always kind of pissed me off, because my best friend was great at them. I figured today was the day I would finally land one.
I informed the glow stick twins of the feat I was about to attempt and warned them to stand back.Starting off easy, with a simple front flip, in one quick motion.Leaping into the air and kicking my weight forward, I spun fast seeing my world whip around.I saw an upside-down girl, some stars and then a face full of trampoline.I was out of practice.
The girls giggled again.
"Hey!" I said, sharply while laughing. "You try it if you are so cool."
"Ok." she said flipping and landing perfectly in one graceful motion.
"Ok then." I said impressed. "Give me another shot."
I did a few more warm up bounces and then projected myself high into the air.Somehow landed on my feet this time.
"Good one." They said as they bounced along the edge of the trampoline. "That was great."
"Let me try a (back) flip once and then I got to run."I said.
I explained to them, my wet towel duties that night at the Fishbug.I invited them both to come by if they had time.
I was now going to attempt a back flip.It had been years and years, but I had more wisdom going for me now.The girls watched and did a fake drum roll on their legs.I did a few warm up bounces and then lifted kicking my feet back.Unfortunately, I landed on my face again.I could feel a tinge of embarrassment because I had built it up so much.
"One more!" they shouted. "You don't want to leave it like that."
"Ok, one more." I said.
I did a few more jumps until I got the height I wanted and then again, kicked my feet back.This time though, I landed the flip.The girls clapped and whistled.
"Thanks." I said sliding off the edge and into my shoes. "Come by tonight if you can."
I picked up my things and rode off feeling like I had just accomplished something.
I sped out to the Fishbug through the zoo of unkempt costumers.I took a quick turn at the 4:30 intersection.A girl on a bike swerved past and I fell off my bike.She turned and looked back at me annoyed.
"Hey, are you all right?" she said.
"Yea."I answered."Are you ok?"
"I'm fine but you need some lights on you. It is dangerous to ride without them." She scolded.
"Sorry." I said.
"Here you go." she said as she strung a bright red glow stick around my neck."Be careful.People need to see you coming."
"Hey wait." I thought looking down at the red glow stick."Where is MY head lamp?"
I didn't realize I had been riding without it.I must have left it at the trampoline.I jumped back on my bike and sped fast, down the side street and back up 5:00.
I showed up and the girls had already gone.I looked all around, but to no avail. It was too dark to see anything.I needed a headlamp I thought…. Damn!
I was pretty annoyed with myself at the moment this happened.This was going to make things tough during all the pitch-dark evenings of Black Rock City.
I rode off feeling less accomplished than I had about 20 minutes prior.
After a few minutes of pedaling, I saw a bright white light in the middle of a relatively empty side street.I felt a flicker of hope burning in the bulb of the small light.
"That would be really weird if that were my lamp." I thought to myself.
I rode closer and got off my bike to reach for the white bulb.I bent down and it shot away from me a few feet.
"That was weird." I thought
.
I stepped close again and it shot off a few more feet, out of my reach.I chuckled to myself.I turned like I was giving up, and then did a full sprint toward the glowing light dropping my bike where I stood.It sped down the street away from me skipping on the uneven surface of the road.After about 30 yards or so, both the light and I stopped. I hunched over and sucked in as much air as my lungs would allow with each breath.I looked up and saw an older gentleman laughing hysterically with a fishing pole gripped in his right hand.
"You did a full sprint." He said chuckling.
"Yea I know." I said laughing with him."I just lost my headlamp and well, I don't really know what I was thinking.It just seemed like a good idea chasing a headlamp on a string." I said fully owning my odd behavior.
"Hey, I caught one Fred." The fishing pole guy yelled, beaming like HE had accomplished something.
I looked back into his camp and there were about 3 other older guys sitting down for a rack of bbq ribs.My stomach grumbled.
"Hey, you look like you want a some food." the guy said still laughing.
"No, no." I said."I don't want to eat your dinner." I said again completely lying about my desires for others food supply.
The ribs looked amazing though from my vantage point.I bet they looked better up close…. I hadn't had meat since I arrived come to think of it.I totally appreciated the spontaneity of the salads I had been eating as of late, but the rack of ribs…
"You gave me quite a laugh at your expense. I feel like we owe you one." He said.
I took yet another look at the rack sitting on the table.
"Ok, let me just grab my bike." I said submitting to the voice in my stomach. (I think the words might have even gone straight from my lungs to my stomach and out)
Soon after, I was sitting at the table smeared in barbecue sauce.It was delicious.I truly appreciated every bite.
I finished quickly and said thank you to the hippie fishermen.
"Stop by again." They said as I hopped on my bike.
The rib dinner was a good find, but the lost headlamp still hung over me like a rain cloud.
I sped off to the Fishbug hoping that I wasn't late for the show.I got out onto the playa and saw the effects were already lit.Art cars buzzed around circling the Fishbug like bees to honey.Music pulsed through the air, as I moved close.
I set my bike down behind our utility shed and quickly prepared for my shift.I got my fire extinguishers and my cooler of wet towels ready at the front of the bug.I took one towel out and rang it out, watching the water get absorbed by the dry earth at my feet.
The crowd was thick as Poe and I attempted to stake out a proper perimeter around the tusks.A line formed behind the right leg again, where people waited to manually operate the flame effects. Like the night before, everyone was mesmerized by Fishbug.
Poe instructed people who seemed alarmingly trigger-happy, to let the accumulator tanks fill up before pressing to get a bigger ball of fire.Those that listened were grateful.
I stood ready armed with wet towels in case someone had to be put out due to Poe's suggestions.
As I stood my post, I noticed two girls near me.The taller girl was wearing black lingerie dress. The other had jeans, a white shirt, and a frayed straw hat.The one with the straw hat looked really familiar for some reason, but I just couldn't place her.Maybe she was just someone that looks like someone else I know I thought.
They got in question proximity and began inquiring about the 37-foot fire breathing metal bug in front of them.
"What is this thing?" they asked
I answered their questions to the best of my ability and told them to try out the buttons on the leg.
A short while later, they came back over and started engaging me in more conversation."How does one get involved with something like this?" she asked.
I gave her the short version of how I got involved, as I was getting a little tired of repeating the same story to everyone.(That happens when you travel… everyone wants to know what you are doing so you end up repeating yourself quite a bit.)
As I explained, the girl on the left stopped me in mid sentence.
"Hey, this may sound really strange, but I think I know you." She said scratching her scrunched face.
"You do?" I asked a bit surprised. "You look a bit familiar too."
"Yea, you were at Jenee's house warming party in Boston a few months ago. I live with Jenee." (Jenee is a good friend of mine living almost 3,000 miles away in Boston)
"Ummm, you know Jenee?" I asked. "Wait a second, that's right.Holy s***!"
"That is so funny." She said."My name is Gretjen, and you are Hassan right?"
"Yea.This is wild.""Did you drive all the way out here too?" I asked.
"No.I flew into Portland where my family lives.We rented two RVs and drove out.This is crazy.I can't believe you know Jenee."
Even though I didn't really know Gretjen too well, seeing her was really comforting.It was almost like knowing someone.That was good enough for me at the moment.
"This is my cousin, Jenn." Gretjen said pointing to her left.
"Nice to meet you." She said smiling.
"We should let you get back to your fire safety duties but, feel free come stop by our camp." Gretjen offered.
"Yea, we are at 6:00 and Inherit." Jenn instructed."Look for two RVs with an Alaskan flag on them.The big dipper constellation is on it.You can't miss us."
"I just might take you up on that." I said.
Gretchen gave me a hug and kissed my cheek.My face tingled as I watched them as they walked away, still stunned by the coincidence.
My mind drifted a bit and was brought back into focus by a fireball, shot out with a fully charged accumulator tank. The blast got my attention quick.Someone else must have listened to Poe's advice.
- comments